Karachi: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced pay hikes for its centrally contracted players with effect from January this year.
PCB has announced that its centrally contracted players would be given a 25 per cent hike in their monthly retainers in all three categories, while the Pakistan cricketers’ Test match fees has also been increased by 25 per cent.

The board also gave the players a 10 per cent increase in One-day International and T20 match fees. Interestingly while announcing the pay hikes, the board didn’t announce the list of centrally contracted players even though there has already been a delay of five months in giving the contracts this year.

A source in the board said that the list of new contracted players would be announced only after the summer training camp concludes next month.

“The idea is, by that time head coach Waqar Younis would also take charge and secondly, the fitness reports of all the probable players would be available to the selectors and team management after the month-long training camp,” the source said.

Normally the central contracted players list is supposed to be announced in January but for the last two years there has been an inordinate delay in releasing the list.

The board said the system of bonuses has also been revised to give incentives to outstanding individual performances and series wins.

“The new Central Contracts and revision in payments will be effective from 1st January, 2014. The revisions have been finalised in consultations with senior players of the Pakistan team. The names of the players who will be offered Contracts and their categories will be finalised after the conclusion of the ongoing camp in Lahore,” the PCB stated.

It also said that the Board will be releasing up to 50 per cent of those players’ remunerations who have represented Pakistan in international matches since January 2014.